Amanda Flaker

Energetic Hygeine

Body Work, Online Classes/Retreats, Spirituality

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7 Days to Healthier Balance and Greater Abundance through Shadow Integration
An Online Group Course

with Charis Melina Brown and Amanda Flaker

March 23 – 30, 2014

What is Energetic Hygiene? Picture

You know those people who seem perfectly nice and you feel as if you should be just fine spending time with them, and yet you do not like interacting with them and feel yucky or drained afterward? Even if they may love being around you?
The reason that you feel icky is that these folks are not watching their energetic hygiene. This is a skill not taught in our culture – as long as we smile, talk politely, and remain within the cultural balance taught in the physical world, energetic bullying, messiness, projection, and pulling is not mentioned nor is it brought consciously into balance by most people in our world.
Not only will this course address how to deal with others with sub-par energetic hygiene, it will help us to make sure our OWN auras are shiny, bright, and integrated harmoniously with those around us. We have all had our moments of being “energetically stinky” and this course is designed to help you become conscious of what you are participating in energetically at all times, so you can direct what you are giving and receiving with full lucidity.
The truth is that our world is NOT always butterflies Pictureand rainbows.
Each of us has a shadow side that, when not integrated, can sabotage our efforts at balance, joy, and prosperity.
When integrated, however, these shadow aspects simply become more notes in the harmonic chord that each of our presences on this planet create, allowing us to heal ourselves and those around us with our clarity, love, understanding, compassion, and the way we embrace our own unique power and responsibility here.
A taste of the course:
Day 1: The Importance of Owning and Honoring Your Inner Shade…
Day 3: Allowing Our Power to be Perceived…

Enrollment in the course includes a free garnet amulet necklace.

A huge part of the course will be in charging this stone with intentions (matching its natural clarification and transmutation properties) that align with course objectives. 

This work is real and intense – and the crystal will hold the vibrations of what we do here, assisting you in continued integration indefinitely after the course has come to an end.

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Register for Energetic Hygiene: $77

Please make sure to include your preferred email address on the order form.

Necklaces will be shipped out just before class begins, so we can all charge them together. 🙂

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Meditation Monday: Surrender to the Moment

Meditation, Meditation Monday

The truth is, for most of us meditation can feel like a daily struggle. We battle the monkey mind, the constant chatter of thoughts, never ending “do to” lists, and the uncomfortable tension in our aching muscles as we try to maintain just the right pose for thoughtlessness.

We try different techniques, concentrate on breathing the right way, thinking the right thoughts – or not thinking at all (what is it, again?), and dedicate ourselves to the “discipline”  of self-mastery, but at the end of the day we feel frustrated with our lack of enlightenment.

We’ve put the work in, where are the results?

If you’ve tried developing a regular meditation practice and have yet to find your groove, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Meditation (and its many forms) is, in reality, a very simple process. Yet, as with most simple things, our minds want to complicate the experience. How can something so nourishing and transformative to the body, mind, and soul be so simple? Doesn’t it require hard work?

In my experience, it is this “no pain, no gain” mentality (so prevalent in our Western society) that often sets many would-be meditation practitioners up for failure.

The idea that meditation is a “discipline” is misleading. The word too strongly vibrates to thoughts of “hard work,” “exercise,” “self-mastery,”  “commitment,” and other intimidating concepts. Though there is nothing inherently wrong with a “hard work” approach, the words create a sense of difficulty and struggle surrounding a practice which, at its essence is quite simple.

Meditation is not about “doing,” it’s about “being” – and Tree rootsbeing requires no effort. It  occurs at all moments of the day, with or without your conscious awareness. Being is not something  you are achieving; It just is. And meditation is simply becoming aware of your Being. It’s about Mindfulness. Observation. It’s the practice of consciously choosing to direct your focus in the flow of effortlessness.

In meditation we remove the “I” from our experience and see all that we think and feel from a Higher Perspective. It’s not about controlling our thoughts, feelings, emotions, or experience. It’s not about reaching some elusive state of bliss. It’s not about being more or less than we are. It’s not about bypassing the moment. It’s not about “doing” anything at all: it’s about surrender.

Surrendering to the moment is the essence of meditation. It’s an acceptance of all that is that brings about true freedom. Surrender is about non-judgment. It’s the ability to see our thoughts as passing moments and becoming Aware of the Universal Self that is present beyond the thought, beyond the limited perspective of our current expression.

To practice meditation one need not embark upon a “discipline.” Simply observing your breath is meditation, and you can do this right now, in this moment.

Breathe-in deeply and notice how the breath moves through your body. Become mindful of the fact that you’re breathing. Notice how you are sitting. Notice the moment created around you. What do you hear? What do you see? Taste? Smell? Touch? When you stop to observe the moment, you remove the veil of time and enter into the ever-present, Omnipotent now. In the now there is no past to regret and no future to obtain. There is no judgment in the now, only the experience of Consciousness.

When you become mindful, you expand the Cosmic Center inner spaceof Consciousness in your very being– the center of your Universe. You allow the Universal mind to enter into the experience of your individual expression. You allow the Spirit of All that is to flow in and through you. You surrender to what is and release the chains of your elusive “becoming” to enter into the freedom of simply existing. You realize in every moment you already have within you all  you need. There is nothing to do. In the ever-present now, you are enough.

Meditation Monday: How to Create a ‘Love Orb.’

Meditation Monday

I love creating energy orbs. In fact, it’s one of the primary forms of energy work I do at Soul Sister Alchemy. I Soulsister Alchemyalso teach my students how to do it as well, and I’ve seen some profound and potent effects come from these powerfully charged orbs.

Today I thought I’d share this simple technique with my readers here at Chakra Center. Feel free to send in stories of your experience with this. I’d love to hear how it works for you!

How to Create a “Love Orb”:

First of all, what is an orb? In the context of this exercise, an orb is an energetic medicine capsule (so to speak) you visually place around your body (through meditation). These orbs are set to remain around you for a predetermined period of time to help smooth your aura and raise your vibration.

You can use these orbs for any intention you choose, but today’s orb is intended to put your love energy in a healthy, powerful state.

Instructions:

*To prepare for this meditation, you will first need to grab a pen and paper and begin making a list of all things you love and appreciate. It can be anything from your favorite color or flower, to a beautiful sunset, or an experience or memory from you past. Write down anything and everything you can think of, and as you’re writing, allow yourself to feel the vibration of each thing you write. Allow the vibration to each memory/thing to fully encompass you.

Using your list of things you love, you will do a visual meditation to create an energetic “orb” around your etheric, energetic, and physical bodies. Please read over the instructions a couple times before doing the visual meditation so you understand how to proceed:

Before doing the meditation, make sure you have your ‘love list” next to you. Read over everything you listed and try to *feel* the energy of each item again. Notice where you feel the emotion in your body. Take deep breaths and breathe the energy of happiness into your heart charka. Feel it expand.

Open all of your chakras and imagine a white light cleansing, opening, and expanding each energy point around your body. If you have experience working with your 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th Chakras, feel free to open those as well.

Now ask your Higher Self to give you a stone (in your mind, of course. You will use this stone for the meditation).  Trust the first impression that comes to you. It may be a specific type of crystal (like an amethyst or ruby) or a stone like an opal or onyx. If you don’t know the name of what you are given, that’s okay. Just memorize what it looks like and notice where you feel the vibration of it in your body. Write it down on your list.

Now, imagine an orb forming from your heart Chakra around your entire body (keep “breathing” into it until it is about 3 feet around you in every direction). Imbue the orb with any color you want – whatever makes you the happiest – whatever intensifies your feeling of safety, peace, and harmony.

Using the list you created, begin visually adding each item into the orb you’ve created around your body. Essentially, you are adding the energetic vibration of each of “ingredient.”  As you put each item into your orb, notice and relish in the “feeling” of each vibration. Notice where you feel their energy in your body. Allow their energy to fully absorb and blend with your aura, your energy, and your vibration. Make sure you add everything on your list and anything else you feel  inspired to include.

Remember, these “ingredients” for your orb don’t have to be limited to “things” (like your favorite color, flower, or animal) they can be intangible ingredients like an experience you’ve had, a song that makes you feel good, or just a emotions you like. Don’t put any limitations on your joy. Whatever raises your vibration and brings you a sense of peace and love, add.

Once you’ve finished adding all of your ingredients, you will inject your “orb” with raw honey (or tree sap, whichever feels right to you). This thick, amber like substance will act as a binder, holding together the energy of all the ingredients in your orb.

Visualize the golden liquid going into your orb and feel its soothing, therapeutic vibration. Notice how it makes you feel. Allow yourself to see, feel, taste, sense the energy of what is occurring around you. In a very literal sense, these energies are changing your vibration.

Finally, take the stone your Guides or Higher Self gave you, and trace the outer layer of your orb. See the stone drawing a thick line around your orb in its unique color. The energy of your particular stone will seal in the energies of this orb to keep it active and intact around you for its allotted time (I recommend looking-up the meaning/healing properties of your stone before you do the meditation. Every time I do this I am amazed that the stone my Guides give me always match the exact frequency of the healing I intend for the orb).

Now set the intention for this orb to remain around you for whatever amount of time you feel led to set (I usually do anywhere from 3 to 7 days). Through the allotted period, take time each day to feel and notice the orb around your body.

Keep a journal of how you feel. Notice anything and everything you experience in your energetic, emotional, etheric, and physical bodies. In a very real sense, this orb is set to smooth out the rough edges and help heal your energy. When the medicine of the orb is finished working its magic on you, the outer layer you set with the stone will begin to crumble way and your incubated love energy will be dispersed into the quantum field while your own individual energy will harmonize and reintegrate at a higher frequency/vibration than it was before you did the meditation.

You can repeat this meditation as needed and alter it in any way you feel guided to do so. This is a basic template I use for the healing work I do at Soul Sister Alchemy, and I have to tell you, it has profound effects on people.

It is important that our energy is always in a high, loving state. This is just as important (if not more so) than recycling or taking care of the planet – when you take care of your own energetic field, you are doing your part in respecting the field of Universal Consciousness. You are not separate from anyone or anything around you. We are all quantumly entangled. Everything you think and feel affects Universal Consciousness, so know that loving yourself is loving all of us. By taking care of your energy, you are taking care of the world. Happy loving!

Namaste!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Giveaways!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World

It’s been awhile since we’ve given anything away here at Chakra Center, so for today’s celebration of our wonderful world, we decided to give away $330 worth of prizes!

Enter below to win: Picture

*One free registration to Amanda’s Writing to Connect to Your Multidimensional Self! online class beginning Monday, Feb. 4th. ($22 value)

*One free intuitive reading ($100 value).

*One free Love and Light Essential Oil aromatherapy blend ($60 value) from Charmed Botanicals, created with love by certified aroma therapist, Athena Ziegler.

*One coupon for $150 off our luxurious, five star wine and aromatherapy infused Tuscan retreat in Arezzo, Italy! (Registration will open Thursday, Jan. 31st)

To enter, fill out the form below. Make sure you specify which prize you are entering to win (or all three!)

Happy Wednesday, everyone! We send love and blessings! May your day be full of fragrant flowers, soothing music, and healing magic!

Discover Your Extrasensory World!

Online Classes/Retreats

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” 

-Albert Einstein

Have you ever had a dream that came true? Do you ever just “know” what somebody is going to say before they say it? Have you ever been thinking of a friend right before they call you? These are all examples of how your extrasensory abilities function on a daily basis. We experience these types of perceptions all of the time, but usually write them off as coincidence.

After the so-called “Age of Enlightenment” the Church and Science split off in two different directions. In attempt to keep-up the reign of “rationalism” promoted  by Science (and therefore, the focus exclusively on only the material world), the Church decided to abandon all “superstition.” Though there were undoubtedly good reasons for this overhaul, serious shifts in Consciousness occurred as a result. Not only did the Church throw-out all things deemed “superstitious,” — they abandoned Conscious all together.

No longer were people taught to use their instincts, their intuition, or their inner knowing. The only acceptable form of knowledge was that which the Church supplied. Only their translation of truth was considered reality. If you didn’t like what the Church had to say, turn to Science for answers. The concept of any truth existing “within” was lost.

Fortunately, we are now in the “information age” (or the “New Age” as many call it). One of the beautiful repercussions about having access to alternative forms of knowledge is three-fold:

*We realized there is MUCH MORE out there than we’ve ever been told

*We begin seeking

*We discover (often through being overwhelmed by the amount of information available) that the only genuine option we have is to go within. We start trusting our own inner-knowing again.

“Writing to Connect to Your Multidimensional Self“ 
is just that. It is an opportunity to turn-off all the external noise and chatter of the world’s opinions, path, religion, and “way” and discover your own internal guidance system. It’s an opportunity to explore the rich and unending Universe within you. It’s a time to give your extrasensory perceptions a chance to function the way they were designed to. We have them for a reason!

This online class begins Monday, Feb. 4th!

Here’s a lil’ taste of the magic:

Week One: What are Extrasensory Abilities?

In week one we explore the plethora of extrasensory ways to perceive, see, and navigate the world around and within us. We explore the function and purpose of each of these abilities, and discuss how they can be helpful in expanding our spiritual journey.

We also explore the downside of relying too heavily on extrasensory perceptions, the manipulation of psychic abilities, and clarify their purpose and their danger (having psychic abilities does not equate spirituality or even “power.”)

One of the most important topics we cover in week one is intuition. Using intuition as the foundation for all other extrasensory perceptions, we will explore:

  • Why our intuition and emotions are the MOST IMPORTANT and powerful extrasensory gift we have
  • How not trusting intuition can make us vulnerable to psychic/emotional/and mental manipulation
  • What our emotions/intuition are, and how they they function as our compass

We also address the misconception of trusting our feelings vs. understanding the message of our emotions.Though we can easily be led astray by not understanding what our emotions are trying to tell us, they are ALWAYS there to guide us, not to mislead us.Emotions are our most precious gift in this physical realm.

Week Two: Discovering Your Extrasensory Strengths

We all have unique ways we see and take-in information. Some people are more “visual” than others; some take-in and process information audibly, some need facts, logic, numbers, and most of use a little bit of everything. These are all foundational  forms of understanding our extrasensory abilities and each point to our individual strengths.

In week two we will use writing and other techniques/tools to:

  • Discover our individual extrasensory strengths 
  • Practice dream incubation
  • Increase our sensitivities to subtle energies and our own internal guidance system
  • Practice using our extrasensory perceptions to expand our Consciousness and Awareness.
  • Connect to our Higher Self and Guides
  • Explore OBEs and Astral Projection

Week Three: Grounding Energies and Releasing the Kingdom Within

The last week of class will be devoted to grounding the energies of our expanded awareness and using meditation/writing techniques to:

  • Connect our heart/mind/soul to the Kingdom of God within us, our Higher Selves, and Highest Intentions for this life
  • Allow the Kingdom within us to come forth — to bring our inner world to our external realities
  • Explore how our gifts can be used to help others

There’s still time to sign-up! Click here to register! It’s going to be epic!

Check-out this video for more info:

What is your View on Christianity? How does Writing Help Us Connect to Other Dimensions? FAQ

FAQ, Features, Spirituality, The Crown Chakra, The Heart Chakra

I am in the process of answering a series of frequently asked questions at Chakra Center. I will be posting both audio and regular videos in attempt to answer the questions I receive. Here are my first two:

“Are you a Christian?”

“How does Writing Help You Connect to Your Higher Self?”

Connect to Your Extrasensory Self!

Features, Online Classes/Retreats, Workshops/Retreats

Features

Writing to Connect to Your Multidimensional Self

It’s finally here! The highly anticipated, unique, and intricate online writing class, packed with tools and exercises to help you expand the awareness and use of your extrasensory abilities.

The purpose of tapping into these gifts is not to feel “superhuman;” We do it to open-up to who and what we truly are.

By expanding our consciousness, we widen the possibilities of new and heightened states of awareness and growth.

Ultimately, the goal is always to connect to your inner kingdom – the Kingdom of God that exists within you at all times, always waiting for your active participation. Tuning-in to your inner world is your key to true and everlasting peace.

I am so glad to finally be able to offer this course and share with you how writing can open-up the channels to deeper awareness of your inner-world!

February 4th – 24th Feb. 24th 

Use writing  techniques to: 

*Tap into your extrasensory abilities

*Create a dialogue with your intuition

*Discover your own, unique problem solving, self management, and healing abilities

*Connect with your Higher Self and your Guides

*Release blocking energy in your mental, physical, and spiritual bodies

*Dive deeply into an intimate relationship with the Source of Love

*Explore the Kingdom of God within you

This three week online workshop is only $22!

Space is limited so sign-up today!

You will receive daily feedback/interaction with Amanda on our online private Facebook forum. Make sure the email you register with is connected to your Facebook account so we can add you to the class.

**All workshops are conducted online, giving you the flexibility to participate on your own schedule.**. 

To register for Writing to Heal and Connect with Your Multidimensional Self, click here.

Testimonials from previous students in Amanda’s 
“Writing to Connect with the Elves” course: 

“It’s been such a pleasure participating in this “experimental” course with you and those of the Elven realm. Thank YOU for offering such an enriching experience to connect with the elemental realm and of course, our hearts! I am especially grateful for the complimentary intuitive reading you provided. Your insights were genuine, heart-centered, and thorough enough for me to delve deeper within and understand myself better. It was just what I needed for my own healing and growth. So, many, many thanks! That being said, the writing meditations themselves were most enriching. This is the first time in a long time that I’ve explored my own subconscious in this way so at first, it was difficult for me to accept what was coming through as beneficial and authentic…I also felt like I really got to know and feel the Elven realm. It became “real” to me. I think I’ve found a lifelong friend/guide through these meditations and I feel much more comfortable interacting with this realm. Since beginning these meditations and talking with you, so much has been coming to the surface to be healed…barriers that I had no idea were there. In short, I feel that the whole experience has been enriching, valuable, and just awesome. You are lovely, thank you! Jackie W.

“This last writing meditation was intense! My body was actually shaking a little. After the meditation I was on cloud nine. I felt really heady and spacey. The walk home was grounding thank goodness. It’s funny how a lot of things in my life seem to be put into perspective now. I feel so much a better about the “problems” I had before. This feels AMAZING!” Justin L.

“…I was shocked at how quickly and clearly words went down on paper. I was surprised at how many things I could write about a tree… I was truly blown away by my #2 meditation, and very pleased with myself and appreciative for Amanda’s guidance.” Laurie M.

“Through the ‘Writing to Connect with the Elves’ class I have been able to get a lot of healing. Amanda has a keen sensitivity to energies and knows how to bring them out through the writing process via her ‘writing meditations.’ The meditations are a great way to empower and awaken humanity through our own healing process. It’s truly remarkable how this class has helped me in healing deep wounds that I wasn’t aware of until they were brought back up by the meditations. Being able to heal them has been a true gift for my life. Sometimes we act according to beliefs that are based on things from our past, once these beliefs are challenged we are able to emerge into who we really are, our past does not determine our future and we can change the patters of thought and behaviour if we are willing to open up the doors by stepping into the pain and healing it once and for all. I am very greatfull for the effort that Amanda has put into the class and how she’s helping to bring conscious awareness to humanity.” Joanna S.

 ”I have taken several classes with the goddess Amanda Flaker and it is a transformative experience! I highly recommend taking a class with her if you can, and this one is EPIC!!!!!” Poly P.

Gnosticism: The Untold Story

Bits and Pieces, The Crown Chakra

“Jesus said, ‘If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.  If you do not bring forth what is in you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.’” 

The Gospel of Thomas

I’m fascinated by history. And as the saying goes, it’s always written by the victors. One of the most amazing aspects of being apart of this “Information Age” is our access to alternative information, histories, and answers to questions time has never satisfied.

So why I am writing about Gnosticism? Because it is a huge part of our history, and a perspective all too often overlooked.

Enjoy!

Gnosticism: The Untold Story

In December 1945, an accidental discovery was made along the Upper Nile in Egypt. An Arab peasant unearthed sacred Gnostic texts, written on papyrus and buried in jars of clay for sixteen centuries. The writings were discovered in a cave on a mountain called Nag Hammadi.  After traveling through the black market, the manuscripts eventually ended-up in the hands of a well-known religious historian in the Netherlands, Professor Gilles Quispel.  After careful deciphering, Quispel was astonished to discover the texts were early Gnostic writings, and contained previously unknown Christian gospels. (Pagels xiii)

Until the discovery of the Gnostic library in Nag Hammadi Gnosticism had been widely dismissed by many Christian scholars as an esoteric, fourth century heresy.  All that was previously known about the Gnostic Christians was through the viewpoint of their opponents.  Now, through recent study of Gnostic manuscripts, scholars have discovered a rich, ancient spiritual tradition, with origins that pre-date Christianity.  Why these writings were banned and unknown for nearly 2,000 years is part of an intricate and intense “campaign against heresy,” led by orthodox Christians in an attempt to form and maintain Christianity as a purely orthodox religion:

By the time of the Emperor Constantine’s conversion, when Christianity became an officially approved religion in the forth century, Christian bishops, previously victimized by the police, now commanded them.  Possession of books denounced as heretical was made a criminal offense.  Copies of such books were burned and destroyed. (Pagels xviii)

The Orthodox Church criminalized many Gnostic teachers during the reign of Constantine as “blasphemers” and perverters of the “one true faith.”  Yet interestingly enough, many Gnostic writings refer to biblical scriptures and most Gnostics at that time referred to themselves as Christians, believing Jesus to be the ultimate redeemer and liberator. (Hoeller 58)

Nevertheless, notable differences exist between Gnostic teaching and Orthodox Jews and Christians.  Orthodoxy speaks of a separation – a great chasm dividing God from humanity. Gnostics, however, believe true knowledge of God is found in knowledge of self; “the self and God are identical.”

According to Gnostic gospels, Jesus speaks not of sin and repentance, but rather “illusion and enlightenment.” “Instead of coming to save us from sin, he comes as a guide who opens access to spiritual understanding.  But when the disciple attains enlightenment, Jesus no longer serves as his spiritual master: the two have become equal – even identical.” (Pagels xx)

While orthodoxy maintains Jesus is the only Son of God, according to the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus and mankind come from the same place and are made from the same source.  (Pagels xx)  These contrasting beliefs make Gnosticism distinctly unique from Christianity and more closely related to eastern religions and philosophies.

The Gnostics’ unique understanding of Jesus and his teachings, as well as their claim to a “secret knowledge,” infuriated the Christians of the fourth century, who were attempting to form a unified set of “right practice” and belief.

Led by Bishop Irenaeus of Lyons, members of Orthodox Christianity (by this time an institution believing themselves to have the only true interpretation of Christianity), set out on a mission to overthrow the “falsely so-called knowledge” of the Gnostics.  It was Irenaeus himself who asserted salvation was found only through his one true church, and this church was to be catholic (literally meaning, universal).  Anyone claiming to be Christian outside of this universal church was considered heretical (and many were toured and killed for it).

Shortly after Constantine converted to Christianity, the fight against heresy gained military support.  According to Elaine Pagles, a religious historian from Harvard University, and author of The Gnostic Gospels, “the efforts of the majority to destroy every trace of heretical ‘blasphemy’ proved so successful that, until discoveries at Nag Hammadi, nearly all our information concerning alternative forms of Christianity came from the massive orthodox attacks upon them.”

What makes Gnostic interpretation of Christianity so diverse (and therefore, threatening to orthodox Christians) is their emphasis on personal experience and “inner knowing.”  Rather than relying solely upon the original Apostle’s accounts and experience of the resurrected Jesus, (and therefore, the Apostle’s authority alone), Gnosticism teaches the resurrection can be experienced, not merely as an event of the past, but rather, a present reality. Each person’s own personal experience of Jesus is expected to be unique, because each individual is different. (Pagels 20)

Stephan A. Hoeller, director of Studies of the Gnostic Society states, “Gnosticism has always acknowledged that the potential for gnosis, and thus salvation, is inherent in every man and woman, and that salvation is not vicarious and collective, but individual.” (19) Emphasis on individual experience and divine potential makes a very clear deviation from Orthodox theology of sin (mankind as fallen, broken, and in need of a savior).

Rather than adopting the orthodox view of humanity as inherently sinful, Gnosticism holds “humans are essentially not the product of the material world.” (Hoeller 17)

The great Gnostic teachers believed every human is born with a “divine spark,” a piece, or essence, of the Divine within them.  Yet, these divine sparks are held captive in the world, desperately longing to be reunited with The Divine – the true source of life.

To the Gnostic, salvation comes not through an external Gnosis and Gnosticism - Sexual Alchemy: Maithunaprovision, but from within, through knowledge – or liberating gnosis. (Hoeller 18)  Jesus is recognized by most Gnostic teachers as the ultimate liberator and teacher of gnosis, and therefore is revered and even called upon as “savior.”  These claims to salvation posed a huge threat to the Orthodox belief that salvation was solely available through their tradition.

Today, Christianity is diverse and malleable, with multiple churches claiming their interpretation is the only true way to attain salvation.  Pagels argues that although many Christians see this diversity as a new phenomenon, (believing the early Church to be the “golden age” of pure, simple, unified Christian faith), the discovery of the Gnostic library shows us that “early Christianity was far more diverse than nearly anyone expected.” (xxii)

For spiritual seekers and religious admirers alike, Gnostic teachings offer a refreshing perspective and a new way of interpreting the familiar accounts of Jesus. Although little was known about Gnosticism for nearly 1,600 years, many scholars believe its rediscovery in the 20th Century is a treasure for our society, as we seek to further understand, with greater awareness, the events that helped shape the western world as we know it today.

Works Cited

Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Gospels. Random House: New York, 1979.

Hoeller, Stephan A. Gnosticism: A New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing.  Quest Books: Wheaton, IL, 2002.

Meditation Monday: The Power of Mantra

Columns, Meditation, Meditation Monday, The Heart Chakra

Words are powerful. Every word carries a specific wordsvibration and frequency. When we allow the vibration of words to penetrate our hearts, they literally change the way we feel and think and perceive, by changing our very frequencies to match that of the words (or the emotions behind the words) we are allowing within our hearts. In doing this, we become a match for more of those feelings to enter our auric field.

It’s the same idea with thoughts, but unlike most thoughts, words have the added potency of carrying a sound vibration. In the book of Genesis, it is said that there was darkness, a void over the face of the earth and when God spoke, creation came into Being.

Words are also used in spells and incantations for the very same reason – the sound vibration of words have the _words_can_hurt_or_heal_smallpower to create. Even inaudible words or subliminal messages have this effect on our energetic and emotional bodies – it occurs even without our conscious awareness. It is critical to be mindful of the words we use and expose ourselves to. Our emotional and spiritual health depends on it.

Just as abusive words can have a negative effect on the body’s overall energetic field, so can positive words and specific sounds can raise our frequencies, opening of channels for healing, and smooth out our auric field.

One of my favorite ways to connect to the power of words is through mantra. Wikipedia’s definition of a mantra is “a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of ‘creating transformation.’”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Mantra does just that – The Power of Words-marca águacreates transformation. When repeated several times out loud over a period of time (especially when this is your daily practice), mantras have the power of rewiring the brain by firing new waves and creating new neuropath ways. It’s phenomenal.

To really get specific about the etymology and history of the word mantra (and its link to practices in India and all different forms of yoga) would be another article entirely. The purpose of this post is to simply introduce you to a few mantras that I use to help me start my day feeling in total alignment with Source.

Sit in a comfortable position (preferably with your spine Shanti mantrastraight and upright). Take several, conscious, deep breaths and repeat the following mantras as many times as necessary. The idea is to repeat the mantra until you truly “feel” the power of them within you. For me, I know when they have deeply penetrated my heart when I can’t stop smiling, or suddenly feel tears of joy on my face. It’s a powerful experience.

A couple things to remember about mantras (or words in general):

  • what you put out, you get back
  • find mantras to use that make you feel good

You can create your own mantras. Just find something positive that resonates with you and doesn’t carry a negative intent to hurt others.

Here are some mantras that I’ve crafted for myself (each Mantrasentence can be its own mantra, or you can combine them all together to be one mantra):

“I Am connected to the Source of Love. I Am giving and receiving Love. I Am following the path of Love. I Am Love.”

“I Am always guided and protected by Love. I Am using my experiences in this world to grow and expand Love. I Am full of the power of Love.”

“I Am connected and transformed by the Light. I Am restored by the Light. I Am ready for wisdom. I am ready for Love.”

I think it is important to connect with the Source of Love daily. Know it intimately. Make sure that your own love energy is always in a healthy, powerful state. This is your only true power, because ultimately, Love is all there is. When you are full of love, you have everything you could ever need to thrive in this world.

Namaste.

Holding a Space of Love for Sandy Hook Elementary

Bits and Pieces, Meditation, The Heart Chakra

In place of our regular Meditation Monday post, we are asking all bear heartof our readers to hold a special meditation prayer for the peace and comfort of the beautiful lives lost on Friday in the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. We were also inspired by a post on Facebook from one sister of light:

“I’ve been racking my brain and heart on how to actively move forward in love to counter-act (on some level) what  happened to the children, teachers, families, and community in Connecticut. An idea came to me that I thought I would share:

My kids and I are going to do 26 acts of love and kindness, one for every angel that just entered heaven. We will help light the lanterns of hope, Gods love and unfailing light in what seems to be very dark times. I invite anyone who wants to do the same…

LET’S ALL DO THIS AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS AS WELL IN HONOR OF REMEMBRANCE OF ALL THE SWEET ANGELS! IMAGINE THE RIPPLE EFFECT IT COULD HAVE ON OUR WORLD!! Every person that you do an act of kindess for will usually pay it forward and the impact of LOVE it could spread would be amazing!! ♥” – Nicole Ramirez (and idea inspired by her sister, Jennie Larsen).

Love is more powerful than hate. Although we can’t take away the suffering of those involved in this tragedy, we can do our part in heart planethelping to hold a space of love for this small community. We can pray for the healing of their hearts and the hearts of those around the world that face atrocities like this every day. We can keep our faith in humanity, and choose to believe the true nature of all people is love. We can use our wisdom to remember all pain, all psychosis, and all evil acts stem from a place of suffering. We can choose to face our own shadows with compassion. We can use our thoughts and emotions to create a world where this kind of pain no longer exists.

We cannot combat hate with hate. Love is the only solution. Love is the answer.

Please consider joining us in 27 special acts of kindness, each in remembrance of the lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary. And continue to pray for the suffering of everyone around the world.

Feel free to share your stories with us here at Charka Center.

Let’s spread love! The world desperately needs it.

Namaste.

For each act of kindness you give this holiday season, consider doing it in the name of one of these 27 beautiful souls:

— Charlotte Bacon, Female, 02-22-06 

— Daniel Barden, Male, 09-25-05

— Rachel Davino, Female, 07-17-83 

— Olivia Engel, Female, 07-18-06

— Josephine Gay, Female, 12-11-05

— Ana Marquez-Greene, Female, 04-04-06

— Dylan Hockley, Male, 03-08-06 

– Dawn Hochsprung, Female, 06-28-65

— Madeleine F. Hsu, Female, 07-10-06

— Catherine V. Hubbard, Female, 06-08-06

— Chase Kowalski, Male, 10-31-05 

— Jesse Lewis, Male, 06-30-06

— James Mattioli, Male, 03-22-06

— Grace McDonnell, Female, 11-04-05

— Anne Marie Murphy, Female, 07-25-60

 — Emilie Parker, Female, 05-12-06

— Jack Pinto, Male, 05-06-06 

— Noah Pozner, Male, 11-20-06

— Caroline Previdi, Female, 09-07-06

— Jessica Rekos, Female, 05-10-06

— Avielle Richman, Female, 10-17-06

— Lauren Rousseau, Female, 06-?-82 

— Mary Sherlach, Female, 02-11-56

— Victoria Soto, Female, 11-04-85 

— Benjamin Wheeler, Male, 09-12-06

— Allison N. Wyatt, Female, 07-03-06

Meditation Monday: Accessing Inner Beauty

Meditation, Meditation Monday, The Third Eye Chakra

For today’s meditation, I thought I’d offer another excerpt from the “Writing to Connect with the Elves” online class.

Access beauty, restore balance of the masculine and feminine energies within you, and release your deepest desires from resistance.

“To see this realm – the realm of thought forms, is to see resistance to your desires. It is to see yourself in a mirror; it is to see wounds, to see joy, and forgotten bliss.

It takes courage to enter this realm. But what you will need most of Beautyall is creativity, and this comes from directly connecting to your feminine energy. To master this realm, your feminine/creative side must be employed. Everyone has feminine and masculine energy within, but most people use their masculine energy to go after what they desire. What you desire, however, is not something to conquer, it is something to receive, because it’s already available for you. That is why it is the feminine energy, not the masculine, that will most serve you here.

In your dimension, there is an imbalance of masculine and feminine energy (within each individual, and as a whole), that if not restored, will prevent you from fully entering our realm.

To “Pursue and conquer” is in the masculine agenda. It has a direct course of action, and the energy moves in straight lines. It is a beautiful energy that serves a very specific purpose, but when applied in the wrong context (or without its equal, feminine counterpart), it can produce devastating results.

Ironically, the Elvin realm can actually be more difficult for woman to enter, (if they have a lot of barriers around their heart) as your world has taught women  some very harsh lessons about femininity.

Femininity is not honored or respected in your world. It is usually seen as weakness. Woman, in your dimensions, are taught they are too much, and not enough, and the feminine energy is confused and remains hidden within most hearts. To be poised, creative, and graceful, is to be vulnerable, used, and misunderstood.

True beauty, in our realm, reflects as a direct result from energetic beauty through our physical forms. The beauty we posses is an exact mirror of our hearts.

Here there is no understanding of hiding beauty. The concept does not make sense to us. Beauty is not something to be feared or  envied, it just simply exists within all Beings, and should be allowed to flourish. Beauty is highly respected and honored. It is not the material, external, object you’ve come to understand it as. No, beauty is inspiration, it’s hope, it’s comfort. It is the vibrant spiraling energy of creation, passion, and love.

Sometimes only beauty speaks, which is why you often go into nature when you are lonely, or why you give flowers at funerals. You have an understanding how beauty heals, but most of you have not yet translated this concept to your own bodies, you own soul, your own heart. Most of you hide.

The subject of beauty is of much importance. And  it must be understood if you are to continue further on your quest. Indeed, to find your own heart is to discover and reveal your own beauty to the world. This is the feminine counterpart of your energy (we will discuss the male counterpart in our next journey – which is of tremendous value).

Balance

You each have both feminine and masculine energy within you and Masculine and Feminie balance2these energies need to be balanced. Our realm can help you accomplish this task. For balance between these two energies is what we all carry within us. When one gets unbalanced, they slowly tip out of this realm. So to enter our realm, is to fill the perfect balance of male and feminine  energy. Do you feel it?

Notice how you feel within our realm. Which part of you feels most at home and at rest? Which part of you is most uncomfortable?

In this writing meditation, you will focus on discovering beauty. This beauty is all around you. You will enter into the realm and ask your Elven guide to reveal your beauty. This region of the Elvin realm that your guide takes you will be a direct reflection of YOU.

Allow the vision to come.

Allow the message to come, the symbols, the words. Don’t judge or think.  Simply observe. Ask any questions you feel led to ask. Look deeply into beauty – what it truly is, what it represents, and where you carry it within you. Each of you has a rare and exquisite beauty to be revealed – and it is a beauty the world desperately needs. Today you will look further into the Elvin realm to discover the essence of your feminine energy – your true beauty. It may be hidden deep, but it is there. It always has been. You carry an Essence of the Divine within you. And it is this Essence that heals and restores balance to the World, and to your own life. Allow it to come forth. Allow it to shine.

Your beauty is needed.”

Bonus:

As an added bonus, enjoy one of our guided audio meditations in the Elven realm:

Finding Purpose in the Past: An Interview with Teal Swan

Interviews, Teal Scott, The Heart Chakra

‎”Oh yes, the past can hurt. But, you can either run from it, or learn from it.”     -Rafiki, (The Lion King)

“What is my purpose?” It was the name of a Teal Scott video I randomly clicked on YouTube. The question was pacing my mind just moments before the title appeared, so I took the synchronicity as a sign. I knew nothing of Teal Scott. Yet that was all about to change…

But let me back up.

I had just arrived in the States after spending six months in Italy – a place I thought would be a permanent residence, until one afternoon while meditating upon a particularly mournful cloud wandering in the Florentine sky, Spirit said to me: “Go home.”

Home?! What home? Prior to Italy I had spent the past 10 years in Portland, Oregon – the weirdest and most liberating place I had ever been. Portland is full of tall trees, wide rivers, and farmer’s markets – plus it’s considered the most “un-Churched” city in America – my favorite part about it.

Apart from grey skies, I could handle going back to the land of hipsters and hippies, but Portland wasn’t the Spirit’s call, and I knew it. My insides tightened at the thought of what was coming…Utah. The word hung in the air like the moody cloud drooping above my head. How could God want me back there?!

Don’t get me wrong, Utah is not a bad place. The mountains possess a noble, native magic, and the summer skies are full of violent purple, and thunderous mountain tops. But the vast, dry valley carries my own shadows, and memories I’d rather avoid.

My father was a Mormon polygamist.  Between three wives he managed to have 16 children (of which I am the youngest).

Mainstream Mormons do not practice polygamy, so my family history was not exactly dinner conversation with friends. The Church of the First Born convened in Mexico (where polygamy was legal) but a bloody religious war had caused my family to go into “hiding” in Utah.

The killings happened before I was born, but my dad (then an apostle of the church) and family were on a hit list. That’s all I ever knew about it, but I still have memories of church members coming in and out of our house, hushed whispers, and that constant, uneasy feeling that some foundational part of our lives had been shaken.

My mom left the church (and my father) when I was quite young. Luckily she found a small, Christian church to attend, and with it, a relationship with Jesus.

I experienced first-hand the peace that filled her heart (and our house) after her conversion. But some in my family were still attached to inherited belief systems, and with her death when I was 12, came fear among certain family members that God punished her for leaving the “one true faith.”

I didn’t experience the hell my siblings went through, but I resented the religious bondage I felt had been tied around our necks — and something about Utah always reminded me of it.

And now here I was, two weeks after arriving from the heart of the Renaissance, spending a pointless afternoon on the internet, aimless and lazy, and loathing my decision to ever come back.

Enter Teal Swan.

When I first heard her voice, my head tilted slightly sideways and up, the way humans tend to move when they listen intently. Something was familiar. Oddly familiar.

A couple weeks went by and I continued to watch Teal’s videos, incessantly trying to put my finger on what was so vaguely recognizable. Unsatisfied, I headed to her website and was shocked by what I discovered:

One: She grew-up in Utah.

Two: She was abducted into a religious cult at the age of six and ritualistically tortured for 13 years.

I contacted her that day.

Teal Swan was not like other children. It wasn’t long into her young life when it became apparent she had unusual abilities. Spontaneous healing, clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairaudience, manipulating electromagnetic fields, and communicating with entities, were all normal occurrences in her daily life. It wasn’t until word got out in the community, that she understood something about her was very different. And it was a difference she would  pay for.

Mormonism teaches authority to heal, receive direct messages from God, and other gifts Teal was demonstrating,  is only available through the Melchizedek priesthood. If a woman is exhibiting these abilities, the gift is believed not to come from God, but from the devil.

Living in the highly religious community of Logan, Utah, most neighbors became fearful of Teal’s abilities, and forbid her from entering their homes. Children were not allowed to play with her, and her parents received strange messages declaring their daughter was a sign of the second coming.

But there was another group who caught wind of Teal’s extrasensory phenomena. Unlike the Mormons in the area whose response was ostracization, this group (known as The Blood Covenant) believes it is their direct duty to rid the world of evil.

One of the leaders, a sociopath with an extreme case of dissociative identity disorder, infiltrated her family, abducted Teal at the age of six, and ritualistically tortured her for 13 years.

Teal was physically and sexually abused in religious rituals, forced to participate in sacrifices, repeatedly raped and starved, and made to have three abortions of children fathered by her abuser. Tied-up and left in a hole in his backyard, her abuser used her to be photographed for sadomasochistic pornography, prostituted her out of motels and gas station bathrooms, and repeatedly exposed her to electro-shock programming. And the list of abuse goes on.

Yet, despite the horror experienced at the hands of this man, Teal’s message is not one of revenge, but of forgiveness:

“…this book is dedicated to the man who ‘ruined’ my life. I find in retrospect you did not ruin it at all. I see now that we are only ever victims of victims. I am sorry for the pain I know you suffered in your life. I have stopped the cycle, and now I have you to thank because you were my greatest teacher (as difficulty always is). Without you, I would not have even thought to look for the happiness I now possess today. One day you will know that you are free.”

Those are the words Teal Swan wrote to her abductor in the  acknowledgement section of her book, The Sculptor in the Sky. I had read them just moments before she sat down with me for an interview at Café Supernatural, in Salt Lake City. The impact was still palpable.

“I was surprised to discover you lived in Utah,” I said, as  a waitress brought us our juice. “Something about you felt familiar to me the first time I saw one of your videos…but Utah must be it. I think I was picking-up on the Utah energy…”

Teal smiled. “Yes.” she responded, in a way that made me feel she wanted to say more, but thought better of it.

I wanted to say, “I know you from somewhere. I have this strange feeling we’re connected in a way I don’t quite understand. And I think you’re tied to the reason I’m in Utah.”

But what came out was:  “I’d love to hear more about your story…whatever you feel comfortable sharing…”

The details of Teal’s abuse are not the focus of her message. But just as it is difficult to see stars in the day, the backdrop of darkness is necessary to fully appreciate the intensity of her light.

She shared openly, demonstrating a graceful inner strength and conviction. For Teal, there is purpose in the abuse. To her, no part of the pain is meaningless. She sees past suffering as the very catalyst to give and experience healing.

But it shouldn’t have happened that way. It is said that severe psychological abuse is akin to death. In the face of extreme trauma, one is usually written off as irreversibly damaged. Doctors and psychiatrists who evaluated Teal after her escape declared her brain was “dismantled beyond repair.”

Though several years of therapy would prove that not only could Teal come back to a place of wholeness, but she discovered the techniques and visualization she learned through therapy were so successful, she was inspired to write The Sculptor in the Sky, as a guide to healing.

Teal now uses her unique abilities, her story, and her connection to the Source of Love, to inspire change. She’s coined the term, “Spiritual Catalyst,” to describe her work.  With her healing gifts, she acts as a medical intuitive to people with extreme physical conditions and diseases. She holds “syncronicity workshops” around the world to help people understand how to use their thoughts and emotions to raise their vibration and heal their life. She conducts personal consults once a month, and speaks out publically about the unproductive prison and jail systems, stating that “you can’t punish anyone into wellness.” Teal has devoted her life to help humanity heal.

Her story reveals our capacity to overcome, even the most extreme places of darkness. It shows us the way out of powerlessness. It gives a picture of life beyond revenge, and into a place of forgiveness and peace.

As we sat in Café Supernatural, I felt my bitterness toward Utah begin to dissolve. The anger from my own religious past simply faded in the glow of her overwhelming ability to love.

Later in our conversation I would admit I was unsure why I was in Utah. And Teal would respond:

“The reason you’re here is less of a mystery to me. There is a reason I wanted to meet with you in person. It will hit you.”

Watching someone face trauma with love, heal abuse with compassion, and take on anger with forgiveness, helped me let go of bitterness I held toward extremism. I was meant to come back to Utah. I was meant to see her video, and I was meant to talk to her that day. Teal reminded me that I chose Utah, even before I was born. There was purpose in all of it. Everything was exactly how it needed to be.

Teal’s ability to forgive showed me that I had the power to let go, and allow my purpose to be fully restored.

What happened that day when I stumbled upon Teal’s video,  was not a mere act of coincidence. It goes beyond synchronicity. It is bigger than this article, or Spirit’s reason for calling me back to Utah. What I saw that day with Teal, was me. Who I met that day, was myself.  I met  you. I met the whole of humanity, and I saw a glimpse of the future we are capable of entering.

If you asked Teal what healed her, I think she would say, ultimately, it was her faith. To believe beauty can rise from ashes is the impetuous that wills it so.

Every time an Olympic record is set, it changes humanity’s  belief about what is possible. Teal’s story sets a new precedent for the capacity of human love. She shows us we are capable of living beyond mere survival. We have the capacity to be fully restored to the light.

By choosing love, Teal did not only heal the darkness of her own wounds, she healed mine. She healed yours.

Don’t be afraid to open yourself up to the limitless capacity of love. Imagine what the world could be. Imagine what we could overcome.

And so it is with you…

For more information about Teal Scott, visit her website at http://www.thespiritualcatalyst.com/

Teal Swan ,”The Spiritual Catalyst” is a well known Esoteric,  Extrasensory who writes and speaks publicly about spirituality, the meaning of life, God, The Higher Self and the road to health and happiness. Teal is part of the first 1980s wave of indigo children.

Amanda Flaker is a freelance writer, editor, and creator of Chakra Center. She loves to travel the world and write about it.